Skyglow
In this edition of NASA's Image of the Day Gallery, the Earth at night. No wonder I can't see the Milky Way from my backyard any more!
Sunday, January 06, 2013
Betrayal
Lego has "sold out"? Wouldn't this be true years and years (over a decade) ago? Perhaps these themed sets have, instead, saved the company? After all, one can still buy plain bricks, custom bricks and the like, no?
Lego has "sold out"? Wouldn't this be true years and years (over a decade) ago? Perhaps these themed sets have, instead, saved the company? After all, one can still buy plain bricks, custom bricks and the like, no?
Homesteading in the Fantasy Universe
An excellent post by Saladin Ahmed about fantasy worlds published by NPR.
Who is Saladin Ahmed you ask? I refer you to this post and to this post on this blog. Highly recommended fantasist and writer.
An excellent post by Saladin Ahmed about fantasy worlds published by NPR.
Who is Saladin Ahmed you ask? I refer you to this post and to this post on this blog. Highly recommended fantasist and writer.
Minas Morgul
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a dark nebula in the constellation of Scorpius, NGC 6231, popularly known as The Dark Tower.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a dark nebula in the constellation of Scorpius, NGC 6231, popularly known as The Dark Tower.
Saturday, January 05, 2013
Helene
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is of Helene, one of Saturn's smaller moons. Helene orbits at the leading gravitationally stable Lagrange point created by Saturn and another of Saturn's moons, Dione. The image is a red-blue stereo anaglyph, so get out those 3D glasses!
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is of Helene, one of Saturn's smaller moons. Helene orbits at the leading gravitationally stable Lagrange point created by Saturn and another of Saturn's moons, Dione. The image is a red-blue stereo anaglyph, so get out those 3D glasses!
Friday, January 04, 2013
Taklimakan Desert
NASA's Image of the Day Gallery serves up a view of the snow-covered Taklimakan Desert.
NASA's Image of the Day Gallery serves up a view of the snow-covered Taklimakan Desert.
Sunrise and Mountain Top
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is stuff my dreams are made of. Strange new worlds, stunning vistas! Sunrise on the central peak of Crater Tycho, our Moon. Tell me again, why haven't we been back?
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is stuff my dreams are made of. Strange new worlds, stunning vistas! Sunrise on the central peak of Crater Tycho, our Moon. Tell me again, why haven't we been back?
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Professional Development
Attention on deck! The Commandant of the United States Marine Corps has issued a new version of the Professional Reading List.
Lots of good stuff here, folks. Recommended if you are interested in history, leadership and more.
Attention on deck! The Commandant of the United States Marine Corps has issued a new version of the Professional Reading List.
Lots of good stuff here, folks. Recommended if you are interested in history, leadership and more.
Refractions
You think you have a telescope? Hah. You don't have a telescope. You don't even know what a telescope is! Now this, this is a telescope!
You think you have a telescope? Hah. You don't have a telescope. You don't even know what a telescope is! Now this, this is a telescope!
Orion Building
Another shot from NASA's Image of the Day Gallery. The Orion capsule, undergoing assembly.
Another shot from NASA's Image of the Day Gallery. The Orion capsule, undergoing assembly.
The Coming of the Shadow
The Cassini orbiter is still (!) operating out in Saturn Space (and Beyond the Infinite), sending back spectacular images (and lots of other data) such as this. If you have access to a telescope, cast your eyes towards Saturn in the night sky. You will see the rings at their best for several years and the Cassini Division (hello, Ken Mac Leod!) should be easily visible.
The Cassini orbiter is still (!) operating out in Saturn Space (and Beyond the Infinite), sending back spectacular images (and lots of other data) such as this. If you have access to a telescope, cast your eyes towards Saturn in the night sky. You will see the rings at their best for several years and the Cassini Division (hello, Ken Mac Leod!) should be easily visible.
Boom Goes the Planet
In another installment from NASA's Image of the Day Gallery, Tolbachik, an active volcano in Russia, is imaged by the Earth Observing-1 satellite.
In another installment from NASA's Image of the Day Gallery, Tolbachik, an active volcano in Russia, is imaged by the Earth Observing-1 satellite.
Ring Ring
In this installment of NASA's Image of the Day Gallery, we see NGC 1097, focusing especially on its star-forming regions...and...not seen, but felt...its supermassive central black hole.
In this installment of NASA's Image of the Day Gallery, we see NGC 1097, focusing especially on its star-forming regions...and...not seen, but felt...its supermassive central black hole.
Another Winter Cluster
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is another great winter cluster pair, M35 and NGC 2158, both in the constellation of Gemini.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is another great winter cluster pair, M35 and NGC 2158, both in the constellation of Gemini.
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
What Mad Universe
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is of "Einstein's Cross". A cross-like set of "clumps" set into a galaxy are not clumps within the galaxy at all, but the result of that nearer galaxy acting as a gravitational "lens" to bring a further object into view. What mad universe we live in!
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is of "Einstein's Cross". A cross-like set of "clumps" set into a galaxy are not clumps within the galaxy at all, but the result of that nearer galaxy acting as a gravitational "lens" to bring a further object into view. What mad universe we live in!
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
2012: The Year in Review
Another trip around the Son on the Third Rock! How did 2012 go?
I managed to read 446 short works last year (the exact number is always a slippery one as I manage every year to forget to note anywhere from a couple to several dozen short works—this number if probably pretty accurate). Several good new-to-me authors were found (e.g., Ken Liu, E. Lily Yu), several old friends were revisited (Harlan Ellison and Arthur C. Clarke, among others). I did buy into one waste of time (the Zombie vs. Robots series of short works).
I managed to read 84 longer works this past year. As usual, I read many books simultaneously, and several of the books I read last year are in the process of being re-read (e.g., Neal Stephenson, Myke Cole), so they will show up on my 2013 list as well. Highlights for new writers included Saladin Ahmed, Myke Cole and Joe Abercrombie (at the urging of Myke Cole, as a matter of fact). Old friends revisited (or seen for the first time) included Samuel R. Delany, Glen Cook, and Terry Pratchett.
The new editions of Neil Gaiman's Sandman stories were completed last year, so I finished my initial run through the series and followed that by re-reading the first ten volumes during the last few days of the year.
In fact, I probably read more "graphic novels" this year than in any year when I found a chunk of the Naruto manga available. I'm still not hooked on superheroes, in fact, the graphic novels shelves done't even get a visit most times I am in a bookstore, but I'm more aware of what I like and will seek more of it.
Finally, I read several good works of history this past year, as you see in this entry.
Another trip around the Son on the Third Rock! How did 2012 go?
I managed to read 446 short works last year (the exact number is always a slippery one as I manage every year to forget to note anywhere from a couple to several dozen short works—this number if probably pretty accurate). Several good new-to-me authors were found (e.g., Ken Liu, E. Lily Yu), several old friends were revisited (Harlan Ellison and Arthur C. Clarke, among others). I did buy into one waste of time (the Zombie vs. Robots series of short works).
I managed to read 84 longer works this past year. As usual, I read many books simultaneously, and several of the books I read last year are in the process of being re-read (e.g., Neal Stephenson, Myke Cole), so they will show up on my 2013 list as well. Highlights for new writers included Saladin Ahmed, Myke Cole and Joe Abercrombie (at the urging of Myke Cole, as a matter of fact). Old friends revisited (or seen for the first time) included Samuel R. Delany, Glen Cook, and Terry Pratchett.
The new editions of Neil Gaiman's Sandman stories were completed last year, so I finished my initial run through the series and followed that by re-reading the first ten volumes during the last few days of the year.
In fact, I probably read more "graphic novels" this year than in any year when I found a chunk of the Naruto manga available. I'm still not hooked on superheroes, in fact, the graphic novels shelves done't even get a visit most times I am in a bookstore, but I'm more aware of what I like and will seek more of it.
Finally, I read several good works of history this past year, as you see in this entry.
Down Down Down Down
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory recently imaged a galaxy in the process of being consumed by a monster black hole.
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory recently imaged a galaxy in the process of being consumed by a monster black hole.
Long Climb to the Stars
The crew of Expedition 34 to the International Space Station climbs to their Soyuz capsule.
Addendum: An image of Expedition 34's launch vehicle being hauled to the launch pad.
The crew of Expedition 34 to the International Space Station climbs to their Soyuz capsule.
Addendum: An image of Expedition 34's launch vehicle being hauled to the launch pad.
Ornament
It's time to take the tree down in the Kiesche household, but this ornament is worth another look!
It's time to take the tree down in the Kiesche household, but this ornament is worth another look!
Baaaacccckkkkkk!!!
He may be late with his Christmas cards, but the inestimable Mr. David Langford is (hardly) ever late with the latest Ansible!
He may be late with his Christmas cards, but the inestimable Mr. David Langford is (hardly) ever late with the latest Ansible!
AS OTHERS SEE THE HOBBIT. A film critique possibly not based on close textual study of the book: 'Cate Blanchett has five solitary lines in The Hobbit, playing some sort of pretty princess, during one scene and has been placed there for matters of fluff and making film premieres actually worth photographing. / There are oak trees in The Hobbit with more input than Cate Blanchett has. Give me one bloody wisecracking woman Hobbit with a sword and a sense of derring-do!' (Grace Dent, Independent, 11 December) [MPJ] The Jackson film trilogy Rose Cotton, Barbarian Swordsperson remains far in the future.
The Space Review
In the current issue of The Space Review (no issue last week), we find the following: Jeff Foust looks at space issues for the new year. Gary Oleson, Bob Silsby, and Darin Skelly discuss why NASA is necessary for national security. Dwayne Day talks about Neil Armstrong. Wayne Eleazer looks at loss of engine thrust (engine failure to the rest of us!). Finally, Jeff Foust looks at "Doc" Taylor's latest literary effort: The New American Space Plan.
In the current issue of The Space Review (no issue last week), we find the following: Jeff Foust looks at space issues for the new year. Gary Oleson, Bob Silsby, and Darin Skelly discuss why NASA is necessary for national security. Dwayne Day talks about Neil Armstrong. Wayne Eleazer looks at loss of engine thrust (engine failure to the rest of us!). Finally, Jeff Foust looks at "Doc" Taylor's latest literary effort: The New American Space Plan.
Double Double
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is of the beautiful double cluster in the constellation of Perseus. An easy sight in binoculars or low-powered telescope (and even naked eye, given good eyes and dark skies!).
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is of the beautiful double cluster in the constellation of Perseus. An easy sight in binoculars or low-powered telescope (and even naked eye, given good eyes and dark skies!).
2013: Wars and Rumors of War
This entry serves as a collection of reviews and notes on historical items read, fictional and non-fiction alike, mainly tending towards military events.
Rick Atkinson: The Long Grey Line.
Gary W. Bray: After My Lai: My Year Commanding First Platoon, Charlie Company.
I picked this one up after seeing that The Village (see below) was set in the same area, but in a different period. It was also set after the My Lai incident and involved the same unit (but different people, due to rotation). Bray's story of commanding the unit is interesting, but did not provide much detail on the differences between the way the USMC operated (in The Village) vs. how the U.S. Army operated. It was more a telling of Bray's experiences in Vietnam, with some detail on tactics and the like. (It should prove useful for when I start looking for ideas for future wargame scenarios.)
Michael L. Burgoyne, Albert J. Marckwardt, E.D. Swinton: The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa with E.D. Swinton's The Defence of Duffer's Drift (University of Chicago Press; 2009; ISBN 978-0226080932; cover, historical photograph).
The Defence of Duffer's Drift has now inspired a third tale (that I'm aware of) which is included as the first half of this two-part volume. Duffer's Drift features Lieutenant N. Backsight Forethought who is left, along with his men and a scattering of equipment, to guard a key geographical location (Duffer's Drift) during the Boer War. The story is told in a series of dreams, where in each dream, he arrives on location and has to set up, prepare defenses, scout, react and hold out until relieved. He fails each time but learns a bit more and applies what he learns to each subsequent dream, until he succeeds at his task. The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa is a similar tale with applications on the U.S. Army's experience in Iraq. The book also mentions the second story (again, that I'm aware of) inspired by the original, The Defense of Hill 781 by James R. McDonough, disparaging it as being no longer useful to today's Army. A mistake, I feel. The lessons of Duffer's Drift can be applied to the large mechanized force scenario outlined in Hill 781 as easily as they can be applied to al-Doreaa. McDonough's Platoon Leader is cited as a better work; but I'd argue that the lessons that McDonough learned that lead to the writing of Platoon Leader are seen as well in Hill 781. Pick them all up and give them a read!
C.S. Forester: Rifleman Dodd (a.k.a., Death to the French) (eNet Press; 2012; ASIN B007BKAB2E; cover, historical artwork).
Rifleman Dodd is overshadowed by Forster's more widely-known Horatio Hornblower, which is a shame as it is a wonderful little book. Dodd is cut off behind enemy lines in Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars. Unable to rejoin his unit, he instead plays havoc with the French forces, organizing resistance, carrying out harassment and sabotage and helping to convince the French that it is better to retreat than fight. He keeps his weapon clean and working, his spirits up and improvises on the fly. Part of the USMC Professional Reading Program, I found this a better read than some of the other older items in the list (isn't it time to retire A Message to Garcia, for example?).
Russell Lewis: Company Commander (Virgin Digital; 2012; ISBN 0753540304; cover, historical photograph).
This has turned out (so far) to be my best non-fiction read of the year. Lewis covers his experience leading a British unit in Afghanistan; the story is light on his background and the training of the unit prior to deployment (except a few mentions) but does a fantastic job discussing the make up of the unit, the tactics used, and details of the many engagements they were involved in during their time in Afghanistan. Lewis ends by listing several charities (all based in the United Kingdom) to assist soldiers and is donating his profits from the book to one of the charities. A commendable effort, an excellent read and highly recommended!
Bing West: The Village (Pocket Books; 2003; ISBN 978-0-7434-5757-6; cover, historical photograph).
In the Village, West details a two-year period (plus several follow-up visits) in the village of Binh Nghia (South Vietnam) when a "Combined Action Patrol" of USMC and local forces patrolled, interacted with the locals, and fought the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army to the point where the village was essentially at peace (until the fall of South Vietnam). The Marines involved were not special forces or especially trained for this; they developed standards on their own as to who would or would not fit in, slowly developed a means of operating with the locals, and, most importantly, were given time and enough operating room to succeed.
This book is part of the current edition of the Professional Reading List, promulgated by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. You can see how it would apply to Iraq and Afghanistan, but in the current environment of shifting strategies, short cycles, up-or-out promotions and the like, would a long-term strategy of patience work? Or be allowed to work?
One item in the book that I'm going to look for in more detail elsewhere has to do with the relative success with this unit vs. a tragic failure by a U.S. Army unit not too far away. This village was only a stone's throw from My Lai. How did these two situations go so wildly different?
An excellent read. I've already picked up a second book by West (on Afghanistan) and will pick up additional works by him. I read this book both as a paperback and an eBook (on two different eBook gadgets). Reading the eBook version enabled me to keep notes (and tweet the same notes), but for some reason the eBook does not have the photographs included in the paper edition.
This entry serves as a collection of reviews and notes on historical items read, fictional and non-fiction alike, mainly tending towards military events.
Rick Atkinson: The Long Grey Line.
Gary W. Bray: After My Lai: My Year Commanding First Platoon, Charlie Company.
I picked this one up after seeing that The Village (see below) was set in the same area, but in a different period. It was also set after the My Lai incident and involved the same unit (but different people, due to rotation). Bray's story of commanding the unit is interesting, but did not provide much detail on the differences between the way the USMC operated (in The Village) vs. how the U.S. Army operated. It was more a telling of Bray's experiences in Vietnam, with some detail on tactics and the like. (It should prove useful for when I start looking for ideas for future wargame scenarios.)
Michael L. Burgoyne, Albert J. Marckwardt, E.D. Swinton: The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa with E.D. Swinton's The Defence of Duffer's Drift (University of Chicago Press; 2009; ISBN 978-0226080932; cover, historical photograph).
The Defence of Duffer's Drift has now inspired a third tale (that I'm aware of) which is included as the first half of this two-part volume. Duffer's Drift features Lieutenant N. Backsight Forethought who is left, along with his men and a scattering of equipment, to guard a key geographical location (Duffer's Drift) during the Boer War. The story is told in a series of dreams, where in each dream, he arrives on location and has to set up, prepare defenses, scout, react and hold out until relieved. He fails each time but learns a bit more and applies what he learns to each subsequent dream, until he succeeds at his task. The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa is a similar tale with applications on the U.S. Army's experience in Iraq. The book also mentions the second story (again, that I'm aware of) inspired by the original, The Defense of Hill 781 by James R. McDonough, disparaging it as being no longer useful to today's Army. A mistake, I feel. The lessons of Duffer's Drift can be applied to the large mechanized force scenario outlined in Hill 781 as easily as they can be applied to al-Doreaa. McDonough's Platoon Leader is cited as a better work; but I'd argue that the lessons that McDonough learned that lead to the writing of Platoon Leader are seen as well in Hill 781. Pick them all up and give them a read!
C.S. Forester: Rifleman Dodd (a.k.a., Death to the French) (eNet Press; 2012; ASIN B007BKAB2E; cover, historical artwork).
Rifleman Dodd is overshadowed by Forster's more widely-known Horatio Hornblower, which is a shame as it is a wonderful little book. Dodd is cut off behind enemy lines in Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars. Unable to rejoin his unit, he instead plays havoc with the French forces, organizing resistance, carrying out harassment and sabotage and helping to convince the French that it is better to retreat than fight. He keeps his weapon clean and working, his spirits up and improvises on the fly. Part of the USMC Professional Reading Program, I found this a better read than some of the other older items in the list (isn't it time to retire A Message to Garcia, for example?).
Russell Lewis: Company Commander (Virgin Digital; 2012; ISBN 0753540304; cover, historical photograph).
This has turned out (so far) to be my best non-fiction read of the year. Lewis covers his experience leading a British unit in Afghanistan; the story is light on his background and the training of the unit prior to deployment (except a few mentions) but does a fantastic job discussing the make up of the unit, the tactics used, and details of the many engagements they were involved in during their time in Afghanistan. Lewis ends by listing several charities (all based in the United Kingdom) to assist soldiers and is donating his profits from the book to one of the charities. A commendable effort, an excellent read and highly recommended!
Bing West: The Village (Pocket Books; 2003; ISBN 978-0-7434-5757-6; cover, historical photograph).
In the Village, West details a two-year period (plus several follow-up visits) in the village of Binh Nghia (South Vietnam) when a "Combined Action Patrol" of USMC and local forces patrolled, interacted with the locals, and fought the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army to the point where the village was essentially at peace (until the fall of South Vietnam). The Marines involved were not special forces or especially trained for this; they developed standards on their own as to who would or would not fit in, slowly developed a means of operating with the locals, and, most importantly, were given time and enough operating room to succeed.
This book is part of the current edition of the Professional Reading List, promulgated by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. You can see how it would apply to Iraq and Afghanistan, but in the current environment of shifting strategies, short cycles, up-or-out promotions and the like, would a long-term strategy of patience work? Or be allowed to work?
One item in the book that I'm going to look for in more detail elsewhere has to do with the relative success with this unit vs. a tragic failure by a U.S. Army unit not too far away. This village was only a stone's throw from My Lai. How did these two situations go so wildly different?
An excellent read. I've already picked up a second book by West (on Afghanistan) and will pick up additional works by him. I read this book both as a paperback and an eBook (on two different eBook gadgets). Reading the eBook version enabled me to keep notes (and tweet the same notes), but for some reason the eBook does not have the photographs included in the paper edition.
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